Two officers from the New York City Police Department had been working security for cryptocurrency investors who, according to the police, kidnapped a guy and kept him captive in the SoHo neighborhood, according to sources from the police department to CBS News New York.
Due to the ongoing investigation being conducted by the police department, those two detectives have been assigned to desk duty.
In the New York Police Department, detectives were not authorized to work as security.
It is not uncommon for law enforcement officers to work security during their off hours; this practice is known as moonlighting. However, in order to do so, personnel from the New York Police Department are required to obtain authorization from the department, and according to the police, the two detectives in issue did not obtain this authorization. As a result of the investigation being conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau, they have been removed of their badges and firearms.
“From what I can tell, they have successfully sidestepped the procedure. Perhaps the enticement of the money was enough to entice them to make the decision, right? Michael Alcazar, a veteran New York Police Department detective who is currently teaching at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, asserted that salary is a factor in the situation. “The money is just probably worth the squeeze, and the money is just want to take a chance, take a gamble because they don’t think it’s going to get approved, and the money is just too great to turn down,” the person said.
There is a possibility that you will be suspended if you are working off duty without authorization. You run the risk of being fired from your position as a police officer,” Alcazar continued.
As part of the New York Police Department, one of the detectives was assigned to the security detail of Mayor Eric Adams. Adams, who had just returned from a cryptocurrency symposium in Las Vegas, stated that the New York Police Department uses intelligence to choose who is assigned to his detail. The allegations are being looked into, but he is not privy to what cops do outside of work. He noted that the investigation is ongoing.
The private lives of the security professionals that I employ are unknown to us, and we have no idea what they do. With regard to their ability to ensure my safety when I am moving around the city, it has absolutely nothing to do with their professional capabilities,” Adams stated.
In addition, there is no evidence to imply that any detective was involved in the kidnapping scheme, and the police have not disclosed when or where either detective worked for the private investors.
One of the investigators reportedly picked up the victim, an Italian tourist, from the airport on May 6 and brought him to the residence in SoHo. This information comes from two different sources. At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that either of the detectives were aware of the alleged illicit activity that took place within the building or were complicit in it.
A tourist from Italy is said to have been kidnapped and tortured for two weeks.
The victim was held captive inside the home by John Woeltz and William Duplessie for a period of seventeen days, according to the prosecution, while they attempted to obtain the password related to his Bitcoin wallet.
In addition to being forced to smoke crack cocaine, the victim was allegedly shocked with electric wires, cut on the leg with a saw, and threatened with electric shocks.
On Thursday morning, a court denied Woeltz’s request for bail, and a counsel for Woeltz declined to answer questions from reporters seeking information about the case. The New York Police Department is continuing their investigation into the alleged crimes and what, if anything, these detectives knew or witnessed about them.
According to a statement that was provided on Thursday by the office of the mayor, “Every city employee, including our officers, is expected to follow the law, both while they are on duty and when they are off duty.” These claims have caused us a great deal of concern, and as soon as we became aware of them, we immediately instructed the officers to do modified duty. There is still an ongoing investigation.”
